


In The Arms of Love

by Higuchimon



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Ai & Ignis Live Again, Diversity Writing Challenge, Hugsaku Week 2021, Imprisonment, M/M, Post-Canon, of a sort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29669640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higuchimon/pseuds/Higuchimon
Summary: Yuusaku needs lots of hugs and Ai is there to make sure they all happen.
Relationships: Ai | Ignis/Fujiki Yuusaku
Comments: 21
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Story:** In The Arms of Love|| **Title:** Finding The Key  
 **Ship:** Yuusaku x Ai  
 **Collection:** 1-6|| **Words:** 1,612  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing: YGO VRAINS/Sevens: H10, 6 chapters; Hugsaku Week 2021, day #1, Locked In A Room & Can’t Leave Until You Hug  
 **Notes:** This takes place post-canon. Ai and all the other Ignis have returned and have spiffy SOLtis bodies of their very own.  
 **Summary:** Yuusaku needs lots of hugs and Ai is there to make sure they all happen.

* * *

Someone out there had a _horrid_ sense of humor. If ‘humor’ were what this could be called. Playmaker certainly wasn’t in the mood to laugh about any of this. 

He stared at each of the four walls in turn, trying to find anything that could possibly be a way out. He wasn’t even certain if there’d ever been a door there. He’d not seen it; he couldn’t have even said how he got in here. 

Or perhaps how _they_ got there. He refused to look at his companion in captivity. 

Not because there was anything especially unpleasant about looking at Ai. But since _Ai_ had spent every single moment of their time in here lounging on a reasonable excuse for a soft couch, it made Playmaker twitch just to see it. 

“We have to get out of here,” he murmured, biting each word off. He hated being in places this small. He always had, especially if there wasn’t any way out. It felt too much like he was back in that tiny little cell, six years old and alone. 

Ai waved one hand – he wore his Soltis form today – as if that were the last thing on his mind. “What’s wrong with this place? It’s nice and cozy in here.” 

Playmaker’s lips pressed together. He’d think that Ai knew how he felt about small places he couldn’t get out of. He’d tried logging out and that hadn’t done anything. 

“You might not need to eat or drink, but I do,” he reminded his partner. 

Ai made a face. “Is it all that important?” 

“Yes.” Playmaker tried very hard not to get too upset with Ai. He was trying to learn about humanity and the more he worked with them, the better he became. But some points just took a while to sink in – like the fact humans needed to eat and drink and rest on a regular basis. 

“Then I suppose we should get out of here,” Ai said, rolling to his feet. Playmaker breathed in for a second. He’d never gotten around to asking why Ai went out of his way to look so damnably attractive. He had a few thoughts on what the answer might be and he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know. 

But seeing Ai’s totally inhuman grace made him want to ask a few other questions. Ones that he shoved out of the way and tried to not think about as hard as he possibly could. 

“I don’t know the way out,” Playmaker pointed out. “There aren’t any doors out of here.” 

“Then we make a door,” Ai said with a shrug. “It shouldn’t be that hard.” 

“Can you see something I don’t?” That wouldn’t surprise him at all. Ai might look human but he saw the data of Link Vrains as easily as Playmaker saw a sunset. 

Ai’s eyes grew briefly distant, flickering around the ceiling, walls, and floor. He blinked for a few seconds, then regarded Playmaker. 

“Someone did this on purpose,” he said at last. “This was a trap for us.” 

Playmaker’s first instinct was to agree. After all, it was much the same that he’d already thought. But he couldn’t yet bring himself to do so. 

“Who?” Once he knew that, maybe he could figure out who it would be. They didn’t have any current enemies. They’d more or less settled matters with the Knights of Hanoi – though this wasn’t Revolver’s style regardless. Trap Ai, perhaps. Maybe even both of them. But like this, together? He didn’t think so. 

The other Ignis, dragged one by one back to life like Ai had been, also weren’t the type to do this. He couldn’t think of anyone who might be. 

Ai only shrugged in answer. “I do know how to get out, though. You’re just not going to like it. 

Playmaker wasn’t surprised by that. “What?” Possibly they’d have to duel, and the winner would escape? Or be set free? 

“We’re going to have to hug,” Ai told him grandly, turning towards Playmaker with a swirl of his cape. “For at least a full minute.” 

Playmaker blinked. He stared. He shook his head. “What?” He couldn’t possibly have heard that correctly. 

“I said, we’re going to have to hug for a whole minute or more before the door opens,” Ai repeated, a teasing little grin hovering over his lips. “Like I said, you’re not going to like it.” 

“Hug?” Playmaker said the word as if it hadn’t ever passed his lips before. Why in any world would someone want them to _hug_? It made no sense whatsoever. 

Ai adjusted his shirt and cape before he took a step towards Yuusaku. “It’s either hug or not get out of here. It’s not that bad, is it?” 

On the surface it didn’t seem to be. There wasn’t anything essentially wrong about hugging. He’d seen plenty of people doing it all the time. But he couldn’t even remember the last time that he’d hugged someone. Had it been before the Lost Incident? It probably had – he’d never wanted to hug after that, he knew. 

But to hug Ai? Was that where he wanted to get his first hug in all this time? Did he even have a choice if he wanted to get out of here? 

“There’s no other way?” He wanted to make certain that there wasn’t any answer. He’d tried getting in touch with Kusanagi and with Revolver, but there wasn’t an answer. For all he knew, they didn’t know that anything had happened. Or if they did, they might not know where the two of them were. 

Ai rolled his eyes. “If there was, I would have said it. It’s a hug. That’s all.” He opened his arms wide. “Now get over here and let me hug you, Yuusaku-chan!” 

Playmaker wanted to correct him; it wasn’t a good idea to use his real name when they didn’t know who might be watching and listening. But it was already said and he could have a long talk with Ai about this once they were back in the real world. 

He stepped forward, shoulders tense and tight, his stomach churning. Ai smiled at him. It shouldn’t have reassured him, but it did. If there was one person that he could trust in all the world, it was Ai. Ai never hurt him on purpose – not that he’d never hurt Yuusaku at all, but he did it out of the goodness of whatever he had that passed for a heart, never a sense of malice. 

Slowly Ai’s arms folded around him and Playmaker leaned into the embrace. He breathed slowly and deeply, even though here in Vrains he didn’t need to breathe at all. Ai’s arms were strong and supportive, holding him close. 

Ai didn’t say anything at all. One hand ruffled through Playmaker’s hair, while the other rested on his shoulder. Playmaker closed his eyes. For once in his life, he actually felt safe. For so long, there’d been the endless sense of not being able to trust anyone completely. 

It was different with Ai. Ai knew everything about him, including his identity as both Yuusaku and Playmaker. Ai supported him, and he knew without a doubt that Ai would die for him if he had to. He didn’t want that to happen; it already had once before, and he’d recovered Ai only by the barest of threads. 

A tiny part of him wondered if he did something wrong, and he had no idea of what that might be, then whatever higher powers had arranged matters or their reunion would then see to it that Ai was once again taken away from him, never to return. 

A light rumbling noise echoed around the room. Playmaker raised his head, still caught up in Ai’s arms, and saw that one of the walls now had a doorway in it. He wanted to head out there and log out, but he didn’t move. 

“Was it really that bad?” Ai murmured. Playmaker frowned. Something about the question struck an odd chord in him. He tilted around to take a look at Ai, who looked back at him with a very amused expression. 

His eyes narrowed at once. He trusted Ai entirely – but he also _knew_ Ai. 

“How did you know we had to hug?” That wasn’t entirely the question he wanted to ask but it would do to start with. 

Ai’s lips twitched. “It wasn’t really that difficult. It was in all the programming.” 

Playmaker wasn’t going to buy that right away. One, he knew Ai. Two, he knew how Ai thought. And three, there wasn’t anyone else who’d be interested in locking the two of them up together like this. 

Except Ai. Who hadn’t made _any_ secret about some of his intentions over the last few months. Yuusaku just hadn’t made any decisions. Apparently Ai decided to stop waiting. 

“And who did the programming?” That he already could guess the answer to. 

Ai couldn’t have looked more angelic if he’d sat down to reprogram his avatar to have wings and a halo. He rested one finger on Playmaker’s lips, stopping whatever further questions might have wanted to come out. “That, Playmaker-sama, would be _telling_!” 

Quick as a cat, he dropped a brief kiss on Playmaker’s temple, then darted out the doorway. Playmaker followed in time to see Ai on his board, soaring up into the heavens. He watched for a second, torn between rage and emotions he had no names for, before he called his own board. 

If Ai thought he was going to just get away with this, then he was going to learn very differently indeed. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** I’m hoping to write a chapter a day for Hugsaku Week. They might all be for Ai x Yuusaku or someone else might get in on the hugs. Time will tell!


	2. Chase and Catch

**Story:** In The Arms of Love|| **Title:** Chase and Catch  
 **Ship:** Yuusaku x Ai  
 **Chapters:** 2-6|| **Words:** 1,617|| **Total:** 3,229  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing: YGO VRAINS/Sevens: H10, 6 chapters; Hugsaku Week 2021, day #2, I don’t need your help  
 **Notes:** This takes place post-canon. Ai and all the other Ignis have returned and have spiffy SOLtis bodies of their very own.  
 **Summary:** Yuusaku needs lots of hugs and Ai is there to make sure they all happen.

* * *

Ai didn’t need to look behind himself to know that Yuusaku followed him. He caught the closest bit of data and spiraled upward on it as surfers did on waves. There wasn’t much difference between data and waves, not here in Link Vrains. 

_I wonder if I could learn how to surf._ It probably wouldn’t be that difficult. But he would probably have to make sure his Soltis form was waterproof. He hadn’t had a need before but it might be interesting to try. 

Not to mention that Yuusaku could _definitely_ use some time off at a beach. He could use a lot of time off at a lot of different places, doing things that didn’t involve saving the world or saving the internet or saving anything except his homework for another day. 

The hard part was _getting_ him to do something like that. Ai appreciated the new lease on life that he’d been given, by whatever fashion he still wasn’t entirely sure of. He intended to put it to use helping Yuusaku as well as himself. 

“Ai!” Yuusaku surfed up close enough so they could talk. That was one thing Ai missed about constantly living in Yuusaku’s duel disk. It had been much easier to talk about things then. Now they had to wait until they were _close_. 

Of course, he quite enjoyed being close to Yuusaku and he thought Yuusaku enjoyed being close to him. Not that Yuusaku went out of his way to admit that. 

“Why did you do that?” Yuusaku demanded. For a moment Ai considered playing dumb. Then he decided that it wasn’t worth the effort and Yuusaku wouldn’t believe it in the first place. 

“Because I wanted to hug you and you wouldn’t have done it otherwise.” There, the straightforward truth. He wasn’t sure if Yuusaku would believe that either but it _was_ the truth. 

Yuusaku regarded him. Suspicion lurked behind those virtual eyes. Ai flashed one of his best grins and sped up his board. 

“Catch me if you can!” Ai declared. “Catch me and you can punish me however you like!” 

Oh, he did like the sound of that. And he liked the way Yuusaku’s cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. It wasn’t easy to get reactions you didn’t actually want to show in Vrains, but it could happen. And being able to make _Playmaker_ blush was a significant victory in Ai’s opinion. 

“What if I want to ban you from Link Vrains for a month?” Yuusaku challenged as he sped up in case. Ai casually shrugged. 

“You’d miss me too much to do that,” he pointed out. He glanced around, then pointed to one of the buildings that rose in the distance. “Whoever gets there first wins.” 

He didn’t know how long it would take Yuusaku to process his challenge and he didn’t wait. He aimed right there and soared forward. Behind him he could hear a faint splutter, then the tiniest noise that sounded a great much like Yuusaku grinding his teeth together. He didn’t know if that were a thing in Vrains, but he liked to thin it was, at least this one time. So he took what satisfaction he could in it and kept on flying. 

It didn’t matter which one of them won this little impromptu race. Yuusaku wouldn’t deal out any serious punishment beyond – at most – banning him from the internet for a few days. As if he actually could. Ai’s Soltis body existed in a constant state of being online. And he didn’t have to worry about internet bills either. 

Ai cast a quick glance, just to see how close Yuusaku was to him. He still had a comfortable lead, and he didn’t want to get too far ahead. There was a difference between racing and leaving his partner behind – and they were still partners. They would always be partners. 

Maybe they'd also be something else, but that would come in the future. Ai still had his worries about the future of the world and the simulations that he’d run before. But Yuusaku insisted that they would make certain that future never happened. How he wanted to do that Ai wasn’t sure. Perhaps it would help that they’d also been able to revive the other Ignis. 

He didn’t want to destroy humanity. He wanted to protect Yuusaku with every ounce of his heart – processor – whatever. But if humanity – if what happened in the simulations happened in reality – he didn’t know what he’d do. Or rather, he had a very good idea of what he’d do and if he’d been human it would have kept him up at night. 

Bit by bit he pushed all of that away to think about another time. He would not let Yuusaku come to harm because of him. That was the trigger point and if it could be avoided, then so be it. 

There were a few of those simulations that he’d never followed to their end. Not out of fear but because he already felt they'd shown him what happened before. There were only so many times that he could see _that_ happen. 

Sometimes he considered tracing down those particular simulations and seeing where they’d go. Maybe they would be different now. All that he’d seen before had been when he was alone. Now that he wasn’t alone anymore… 

Something caught at his attention – Yuusaku was suddenly a great deal closer than he had been before. His eyes flashed in mild rage – was he still upset about being quasi-tricked into a hug? 

It couldn’t have been that bad. Ai would have let them out if Yuusaku really hadn’t wanted to hug. He would never do anything to really, truly hurt Yuusaku if he could get around it. Even his own original death had been because he couldn’t find another answer to he question. 

“Are you upset?” Ai asked, tilting his head and making sure to keep ahead by just enough. “Was the hug not good enough for you?” 

Yuusaku’s eyes flashed bright. “That’s not the point!” 

“Then what is?” Ai deliberately invoked what he suspected worried Yuusaku. “Did you really think I’d just leave us there if you didn’t hug me?” 

“Why did you do it at all? How did you do it?” Yuusaku demanded. Ai’s lips twitched into a grin right away. 

“Just a little hacking. As for why – you could use a hug. You could use a lot of hugs.” Ai shrugged, tossing his cape in his best dramatic fashion. “And I’m going to make sure that you get them.” 

Yuusaku didn’t exactly stumble, but Ai could tell that he was surprised. Hadn’t anyone ever hugged the poor boy? 

“I don't want your help,” Yuusaku said at last, turning away. “What do you even think you’re doing this for?” 

Was he going to have to explain his every thought process Maybe this was that ‘communication’ he’d heard humans liked to have. Well, if it got Yuusaku to listen to him, relax, and actually let Ai hug him – and maybe more one way – then so be it. Ai would tell him everything. 

“Because you _need_ it,” Ai told him. “Humans need hugs – they need contact. I might not be human, but I can do it. And I want to.” For a few moments only silence hung in the virtual air between them. Yuusaku started to shake his head and Ai interrupted at once. “Do you really think there’s anyone who understands you better than I do?” 

He could see Yuusaku starting to answer – and then not. Ai couldn’t help but feel a little smug about that. 

Then he glanced ahead once more and grinned all over again. He reached out as quick as he could and rested one hand on the building he’d designated as their target. 

“Looks like I win. I suppose that means I get to punish _you_.” Oh, Yuusaku was blushing again! How adorable! 

“I don’t need to be punished for anything,” Yuusaku said. Was that a hint of a pout? Ai chose to believe it was. 

Ai nodded solemnly as their two boards came to a rest. “I suppose you don’t. But since I won, I deserve a reward.” 

He swung his board closer to Yuusaku’s. “Is it really all that bad? _Was_ it that bad? Am I bad at hugging?” He really wanted to answer on that one. 

Slowly Yuusaku shook his head. He worried at his lip before he continued. “It wasn’t that bad. It was – nice.” 

“As nice as this one?” Ai murmured, sliding one arm around Yuusaku’s waist and enfolding him in his cape. Yuusaku was so _warm_ , a different kind of warmth than Ai’s own. Ai enjoyed playing with Yuusaku’s hair and so he sank his fingers deep in there, stroking ever so gently. 

He would have to do this for Yuusaku in the human world. What could he do to Yuusaku like that? Oh, he looked forward to finding out. 

Yuusaku made a deep sighing noise and leaned in closer. “I should be mad at you,” he murmured, fitting one arm around Ai’s own waist. “But you make it so hard.” 

“I try,” Ai replied with a wicked grin. “There’s really nothing to be mad about.” 

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Yuusaku grumbled, but he didn’t move away from Ai’s embrace. Ai leaned in closer. 

“You do that, then.” He wasn’t going to protest, as long as they were so comfortable together. Perhaps Yuusaku would be upset later, or perhaps he’d come to understand that Ai did everything for him. 

And maybe Ai could figure out a way to get them to the beach. Snuggling on the sand sounded very good to him. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** And there’s hug #2!! Four more to go!


	3. Tea and Talking

**Story:** In The Arms of Love|| **Title:** Tea and Talking  
 **Ship:** Yuusaku x Ai  
 **Chapters:** 3-6|| **Words:** 1,610|| **Total:** 4,839  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing: YGO VRAINS/Sevens: H10, 6 chapters; Hugsaku Week 2021, day #3, sleep hugs  
 **Notes:** This takes place post-canon. Ai and all the other Ignis have returned and have spiffy SOLtis bodies of their very own.  
 **Summary:** Yuusaku needs lots of hugs and Ai is there to make sure they all happen.

* * *

Yuusaku shifted underneath the blanket, not quite able to get himself comfortable. He hated to admit that he was a little chilly even with his blanket; there were drafts, of course, because his apartment had four separate drafts, and one of them kept chill air blowing into his room whenever it gusted outside. 

That was one of the reasons he preferred Link Vrains. There weren’t drafts there. He could stay warm there. But here, even tucked under the blanket, he heard the sighing of the wind. 

He’d get to sleep sooner or later. He always did. But he would have far preferred it to be _sooner_. He had put in a lot of effort in Link Vrains and he was worn out. 

Part of that effort involved everything that happened with Ai when they’d been in Vrains as well. That little _thing_ Ai did trapping them so they could _hug_. 

Truth to tell, Yuusaku thought he wasn’t quite as upset about that now. Ai meant well. Ai needed a _lot_ of lessons on how to human properly and how it was kind of _rude_ to trap someone like that, but Yuusaku hoped he’d learned that now. 

But while he hoped, he couldn’t entirely convince himself of that. 

A presence settled next to him. He didn’t even look up. He knew who it was. 

“What are you doing here, Ai?” 

“You’re not asleep,” Ai murmured. “It’s late. You should be.” 

This wasn’t even close to the first time he’d spent a sleepless night. He’d sometimes gone as much as three days without sleep, pushing through on caffeine and sheer stubbornness. But since Ai took up living with him, Ai had formed Opinions on how often Yuusaku should get his nightly eight hours. 

“I’m fine,” Yuusaku muttered, keeping his eyes tightly closed. “Stop talking to me and I’ll be asleep in no time.” 

He wasn’t sure of how to describe the noise that Ai made but it sounded something on the order of _idiot_. It wasn’t the first time at all that Ai had called him that. He cracked one eyebrow to see Ai looking down at him. 

At this hour it was too dark to see Ai very clearly but enough starlight leaked in through the window for Yuusaku to get a sense of the shape and form there. Not to mention that no one _but_ Ai would be there. 

He really wanted to go to sleep. But Ai was there and - Ai was holding something? 

Yuusaku sat up more, frowning. “What are you holding?” He blinked, trying to get his vision to focus. Being in the dark didn’t make it easier. But he saw it finally – two cups of steaming hot tea 

“I brought you tea. It’s green tea. It helps you sleep!” Ai was perky. Yuusaku had never been fond of perky, especially at this hour when he really wanted to be _asleep_. 

“Why are there two cups?” Yuusaku wanted to know, getting himself sorted out so he could accept one of the cups. He wasn’t really thirsty but he thought perhaps the tea wouldn’t hurt. 

He also wondered exactly how Ai had gotten hold of the tea in the first place. He didn’t have any of that here. 

“Because I’m going to have it with you,” Ai promised, crossing his legs and leaning against Yuusaku. 

Yuusaku frowned. “I didn’t know you could drink actual tea.” Despite how human he looked, Ai was still a Soltis and that meant he didn’t actually need to eat. 

“I have a way to process it,” Ai told him, just a smidge too cheerfully. “I’ll have to get rid of it later, of course. Just like you will.” 

Yuusaku decided then and there that he didn’t really want to know any further details. The mechanical details, maybe, but not the specific other details. 

The cup sat warm in his hands, and he breathed in rich green tea scent for a long moment before he carefully started to sip it. 

“You’re going to have to thank Roboppy for the tea,” Ai said, sipping at his own cup. “They made it for you. But it was my idea.” 

Of course it was. Yuusaku wouldn’t have thought anything else. He glanced up long enough to see Roboppy peeking in the door and managed to offer a small smile. He’d been more than a little surprised to find a way to recover Roboppy, but he knew how that happened. Ai and Roboppy made a backup of the housebot’s data before everything fell apart all those months earlier. All that had been required was a proper casing to download it into. Roboppy lost a few memories but still remained the adorable friend that Yuusaku had always known. 

And Roboppy still enjoyed doing things for him, such as cleaning and making meals that weren’t actually hot dogs. Yuusaku had to wonder if he should try to get a better place for them all to live, just so Roboppy had more room to work with. Not that there had ever been any complaints. But he thought about it regardless. 

Yuusaku wasn’t surprised to find Ai’s arm going around him again. Ai made it plain there would be plenty of hugs in the future. It wasn’t that horrible of a thought. Ai hugging him was actually rather pleasant. 

He’d never thought about being hugged in his own bed, though. He knew that this kind of thing – and a lot more – happened, but he’d never thought about it happening to him, let alone it being Ai who did it. 

Ai sipped carefully at his tea. “I’m not really sure why you people like this,” he mused. “It’s an interesting taste, though.” 

“I like it,” Yuusaku admitted. “It’s very good tea.” Perhaps he’d have to start getting more of it. Or find out where Ai got this from. 

Ai nodded. “If it helps you to sleep.” His eyes glinted in the darkness. “And you are going to sleep. This weekend I want to see if we can go to the beach.” 

Yuusaku raised his head and stared at him. “What?” It didn’t matter that he couldn’t see Ai very well. He stared regardless. What in the world did Ai want to do at the beach? 

“I said we're going to the beach. It’s going to be very good weather this weekend. Probably the last good weather before winter sets in.” Ai’s lips twitched ever so faintly. “I’ll find us a good place to go to enjoy ourselves. Do you have a swimsuit?” 

Yuusaku couldn’t quite get his head wrapped around that. But he slowly shook his head. 

“I didn't think so. Don’t worry. I’ll get you one.” Ai regarded him, eyes gleaming brightly in the darkness. “Unless you want to go with me so I can try it on you while you’re there.” 

Yuusaku had _no_ idea how to even begin responding to that! He spluttered, part of the tea choking in his throat, and Ai quickly patted his back until he had it all properly sorted out. 

“That won’t be necessary. I don’t think I need a swimsuit.” What would he even _do_ with one? 

“I think you do,” Ai pointed out. “And I’m going to make sure that you get one.” 

He tightened his grip around Yuusaku, enfolding him a deep and warm hug. “Now go to sleep.” 

“I need to lay down for that,” Yuusaku muttered, setting his teacup to one side. He’d finished it and he could already feel himself starting to slide far closer to sleep than he had before. 

Yuusaku wasn’t surprised to hear Ai chuckling the way that he did whenever Ai thought he knew better – which was most of the time. “You can sleep like this. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.” Ai’s hand touched the blanket, rubbing it in between his fingers and clearly not approving. “You need another one of these, too. And until you get one, then I’m going to keep you warm.” A quick bit of laughter. “I’ll probably keep you warm after that, too.” 

It took a bit of effort not to actually sigh at that. He wondered why Ai was like this and decided that he would not only probably never know but it was better if he didn’t know. Some answers people just weren’t meant to have. 

Ai rearranged his grip so that he held Yuusaku against him, arms a little more comfortable than Yuusaku would have thought. Not quite like a pillow – he was too dense and hard for that – but Yuusaku found himself relaxing against Ai regardless. Maybe he’d also think about getting a larger pillow, so if Ai wanted to keep doing this, he would be a lot more comfortable. A larger pillow, a better blanket – all that would take money. Very annoying but he had his ways to get what he needed. He’d just never thought it that necessary until now. 

With how touchy and clingy Ai had been over the last day, Yuusaku wasn’t surprised to feel Ai’s fingers playing in his hair again. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and relaxed himself. It wasn’t often that he felt this safe, even in his own bed. But here, of all places, he’d never be hurt. Ai was there. Ai would not hurt him. Ai – cared about him. He cared about Ai. 

“Yuusaku-chan,” Ai murmured, and Yuusaku wished that he’d be quiet. How could he get his sleep if Ai kept on talking “What do you think about me getting you a thong swimsuit?” 

Yuusaku very nearly sat up, all thoughts of sleep doing their best to flee far from him. 

“ _ **No**_!” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** So, should Ai and Yuusaku get to the beach?


	4. Presents

**Story:** In The Arms of Love|| **Title:** Presents  
 **Ship:** Yuusaku x Ai  
 **Chapters:** 4-6|| **Words:** 1,637|| **Total:** 6,476  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing: YGO VRAINS/Sevens: H10, 6 chapters; Hugsaku Week 2021, day #5, surprise hugs  
 **Notes:** This takes place post-canon. Ai and all the other Ignis have returned and have spiffy SOLtis bodies of their very own.  
 **Summary:** Yuusaku needs lots of hugs and Ai is there to make sure they all happen.

* * *

Ai kept his arms around Yuusaku even as the night turned by and the sounds of outside grew quieter and quieter. He checked on the weather and smiled. Oh, that would make a lovely surprise for Yuusaku in the morning! 

_Does he have a proper coat?_ Ai wanted to get up and check, but he had Yuusaku in his arms, and he didn’t want to take the chance on his dear one waking up if he moved. Yuusaku didn’t always sleep well, and Ai wanted to make sure that this time he was actually rested. 

But he had other ways to find out what he needed to know. 

“Roboppy,” he murmured, speaking not in human but in the shared language of computer programs, “I need to know if Yuusaku has a good winter coat.” 

“He has a coat,” Roboppy replied right away. “But it isn’t very thick. He would probably be cold in it.” 

Ai pressed his lips together, thinking. He regarded Yuusaku carefully, then checked his other resources. He had access to money – one didn’t take over SOL Technologies and not tuck a nest egg away just in case – and if there was anyone in this world who knew Yuusaku’s measurements, he was that one. 

Ai didn’t need to so much as get up to carry out his idea. He rifled through one of the better online stores and made his selection, putting the order in quickly. It would be delivered by morning – an extra charge applied, but for Yuusaku, anything was worth it. 

Then he carefully went back over it all and erased his tracks flawlessly. He didn’t want anyone, especially those who might have a grudge against Playmaker, to figure out anything about Yuusaku. Among all of those simulations, one thing had been certain. Yuusaku always outed himself as Playmaker to protect him and that always meant he ended up being targeted. 

If that were going to happen, it wouldn’t be because of Ai’s own foolishness. 

So, in the morning, Yuusaku would wake up to an elegant new coat that would keep him warm, as well as a thick coating of snow outside. It was the weekend; he wouldn’t have to go to school. Ai checked around for interesting cold weather events they could take part in. Ice skating, throwing snowballs, skiing – well, he didn’t think Yuusaku would like skiing. But skating and snowballs and walking in the snow and hot chocolate 

Yuusaku never seemed to want anything that could actually be fun. Ai would take care of that for him. 

He considered for a little longer, then put in another order – ice skates. Those could be rented from some areas, but as far as Ai was concerned, Yuusaku should have everything of his own. If he could have gotten away with it – and he wasn’t sure that he couldn’t – he would have arranged for Yuusaku to have a much better apartment. 

But that would probably be something that Yuusaku should decide for himself. Ai would keep himself to small presents like coats and skates and making reservations at a good restaurant. 

He’d originally intended the money he swiped from SOLtech to go to Yuusaku after a couple of years. Not that Yuusaku would necessarily need it; he was more than talented enough to get a job he’d be happy at with minimum effort. But Ai wanted, even then, to take care of Yuusaku in any way that he could. 

Only he hadn’t counted on coming back and since he had, and he knew perfectly well that the little nest egg he’d set up was _there_ , it didn’t seem right to just let it gather virtual dust. 

Ai didn’t need to sleep, not exactly like humans did. But he carefully arranged for his body to recharge and set himself into a temporary stasis mode. That passed for sleep, and he could make certain that he woke up when Yuusaku did. 

Several hours later, that was exactly what he did. Yuusaku stirred against him, and Ai opened his eyes, recaliberating and focusing, checking the time and reassuring himself that the weather hadn’t done anything that it shouldn’t. One couldn’t always be certain, after all. 

“Ai?” Yuusaku blinked at him. “Good morning.” 

Ai grinned at him. He thought about getting himself some nightclothes, but there was also the fact that covering up his body was something of a crime against nature. He enjoyed clothes and showing off his taste, but nightwear was something else altogether. He would have to think about it. 

But he did like the idea of Yuusaku waking up to see him like that. He would consider the benefits in the future. 

For now, he just enjoyed the sight of early morning Yuusaku, with mussed hair and eyes a little sleepy and confused. 

“Good morning, Yuusaku-chan,” Ai chirped cheerfully at him. He unwound himself and stood up. “You’re going to need breakfast. It’s going to be a busy day!” 

Yuusaku blinked a few times. “What are you talking about?” He started to shift off of the bed, angling towards the bathroom. 

“It’s snowing outside,” Ai told him. He could see the tiniest wince of Yuusaku’s shoulders at that. Ah, he had no idea. “We’re going to have fun!” 

Yuusaku snorted ever so faintly. “I think I’m going to go back to bed after breakfast. I don’t like the snow.” He must have seen Ai’s expression, since he amended, “Or did you want to go to Link Vrains?” 

“We’re going _out_!” Ai told him. “It’s going to be fun!” 

Yuusaku shook his head with a sigh. “I don’t like snow or cold. I’m not going out there if I don’t have to.” 

“Oh, you’re going to love this,” Ai promised. “Go on, get dressed. Roboppy’s making you a good breakfast.” 

He gently nudged Yuusaku that way before heading off to the kitchen area himself. It wasn’t much of a kitchen – a tiny stove, a counter-top oven that took up more counter space than it should have, a sink, and a couple of cupboards. A bar offered a little more space to put things, but that was it. It was big enough to get various tasks of cooking done, as long as one didn’t want to make anything very complex. 

_I really have to get him to get us a bigger place,_ Ai told himself, setting up for breakfast as Roboppy got to work making it. Sounds of water splashing and other movements told him that Yuusaku was at least getting ready for breakfast. He probably wasn't too thrilled about anything else Ai might have planned. 

A knock sounded, and before Yuusaku could so much as peek his head out of the bathroom, Ai caroled out, “I’ll get it!” 

Just as he’d expected, it was the coat and the skates. Ai carried them inside and set them on the slightly rickety table. Yuusaku peered out, clearly confused at the sight of the boxes. 

“What did you order?” He didn’t sound as if he wanted the answer. Ai just waved one hand at him. 

“Eat your breakfast. You’ll see this later.” He didn’t open any of it. These were Yuusaku’s presents. He would get that honor. 

Yuusaku stared at them for a few moments, suspicion written large over his features, before he went over to start eating. 

“Do I want to know where you got the money for that?” 

“No, probably not,” Ai replied cheerfully. “Though I could tell you if you really wanted me to.” 

Yuusaku regarded him before he slowly shook his head. “No. I think I’ll sleep better without knowing.” 

Ai grinned; he thought much the same thing. Yuusaku would probably try to demand he give the money back. Ai wasn’t going to do that. SOLtech wasn’t their enemy anymore, but he thought they’d earned that money after everything. 

Once Yuusaku finished, he came over to where Ai lounged waiting for him. “All right, what’s in the boxes?” 

“Open them up and see,” Ai told him. “I bought them for you. They’re yours.” 

“Mine?” Yuusaku said the word as if he wasn’t sure of how it applied to him. “You got me – presents?” 

“Yup. Go on.” Ai waved one hand. Yuusaku eyed the boxes again, then slowly started to open the smallest one first. 

He pulled out the ice skates and stared at them. “Skates? I don’t know how to ice skate. 

“No better time to learn!” Ai declared before he motioned to the other box. “Now that one!” 

If Yuusaku had been surprised by the skates, his jaw dropped at the sight of the thick coat, a deep shade of amethyst. He rested one hand on it before he stared up at Ai. 

“Where did you get this?” 

“Off the internet. Don’t worry, no one can tell I got it,” Ai assured him. “Put it on! I want to be sure I got it right.” 

Yuusaku stared back at the coat. Ai suspected he wanted to wear it a lot more than he wanted to admit. Then, slowly, he slid the coat on, sinking into the warm depths of it. He closed his eyes, ever so faintly trembling, before he leaned over and wrapped coat-covered arms around Ai, holding him tightly. Ai wrapped his arms around him in return, enjoying the feeling of Yuusaku being there. 

“Thank you,” Yuusaku murmured. “It’s wonderful.” Then he glanced quickly at Ai. “You didn’t get a _thong_ too, did you?” 

“Not yet,” Ai told him, eyes flickering in amusement. “But there’s time until spring. Or I could get you one in Link Vrains. I’m sure there’s lots of people who would love to see Playmaker in one of those – what are they called? Speedos?” 

Oh, he did so love to see Yuusaku blush. It could happen so easily, at least for him. 

Spring couldn’t come soon enough. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Tomorrow Yuusaku and Ai do wintery things. The spring/swimming/thong stuff will probably be brought up in my Aiballshipping Week fills. Though it’s still a trifle too soon to say for sure.


	5. Skating

**Story:** In The Arms of Love|| **Title:** Skating  
 **Ship:** Yuusaku x Ai  
 **Chapters:** 5-6|| **Words:** 1,614|| **Total:** 8,090  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing: YGO VRAINS/Sevens: H10, 6 chapters; Hugsaku Week 2021, day #5, surprise hugs  
 **Notes:** This takes place post-canon. Ai and all the other Ignis have returned and have spiffy SOLtis bodies of their very own.  
 **Summary:** Yuusaku needs lots of hugs and Ai is there to make sure they all happen.

* * *

Yuusaku was a touch loathe to admit it out loud, but he _loved_ the new coat. Ai knew his measurements perfectly – though he hadn’t ever asked how Ai knew and wasn’t sure if he wanted to know – and he’d chosen a perfect color. And it was so _warm_. 

He wasn’t so sure about the ice skates, though. He’d never bothered learning how to do it. He’d seen people going off with their skates before, but he’d never been able to dredge up the enthusiasm to do it himself. 

But now things were different. He’d learned everything that he could about the Lost Incident, the Knights of Hanoi weren’t his enemy anymore, and the Ignis were safe with those who cared about them. SOLtech wasn’t an enemy either. He could do whatever he wanted to do. Revenge no longer consumed his life. 

Which meant if he wanted to, he could go ice skating. And have fun. 

The idea of having fun wasn’t one that had occurred to him in years. Fun was for other people, not for him. The closet he’d ever come to it were those times he’d been in Link Vrains and no one was actually attempting to kill him or worse. 

Fun was apparently for Ai, who stood peering out the door and fidgeted, glancing back at him now and then. 

“Are you ready yet?” Ai demanded to know. “The snow’s just about stopped.” 

Yuusaku could have happily remained wrapped up in his new coat and sitting on the couch the whole time. But with the way Ai looked at him, he couldn’t bring himself to do that. He got to his feet, skates hung over one shoulder. 

“We could go skating in Vrains,” he pointed out. That would be a lot less painful when he inevitably fell. He anticipated a lot of bruises today and didn’t look forward to any of them. 

Ai patted him on the shoulder. “We could but that would mean you wouldn’t get to use your new skates or your new coat.” 

Yuusaku reminded himself that Ai’s body was a SOLtis creation and that it was only Ai’s intelligence infusing it that made it look as if he were being given such large and melting eyes. Given the square shape of the pupils, it really shouldn’t have looked so adorable. 

And yet, it did. 

He shrugged and headed for the door. “If we’re going to do this, then let’s do it.” 

Yuusaku wasn’t surprised to feel Ai’s arm sliding around him as they started walking. Ai had been a lot more huggy over the last day. It didn’t feel bad at all and he was starting to get used to it. 

The more Ai hugged, the more he started to _like_ it, in fact. He wasn’t sure of how else to feel about it. Ai was very warm and very strong and Yuusaku could forget about everything else for a few moments. He didn’t want to do that for long, but for those moments, he enjoyed the sensation. 

He leaned his head against Ai as they walked. He didn’t see anyone else around who paid attention to them, so the silence and solitude encouraged him to wrap his own arm around Ai. Those few people who were around seemed more interested in the snow themselves than anything else. 

“Where are we going?” Yuusaku asked at last. He really only knew the way from his apartment to school and to a few choice places where Kusanagi set up Cafe Nagi. He probably could have found his way to the hospital if he needed to and maybe a tiny handful of other places. But he didn’t remember any particular ice skating areas – not that he’d ever gone looking for them. 

“Ice skating! Didn’t you hear me?” Ai stared at him with one of the most convincing innocent expressions ever. Yuusaku didn’t buy it for a moment. 

“Where are we going ice skating?” Maybe if he made the questions short and to the point, Ai would give him actual answers. 

Ai gestured grandly ahead of them. “There’s a skating rink this way. I found it on the internet last night.” 

Yuusaku nodded. At least that made sense. He’d really never gone looking so he wouldn’t have known. Even if he’d walked right by it, he wouldn’t have guessed. 

“It’s not one of those artificial ones either,” Ai told him, tightening his hold a little. “It’s a frozen pond. They keep a good watch on it to be sure the ice is thick enough.” 

It had been very cold for several days now. He’d spent more time in Vrains because of that. So he guessed the place had thick enough ice to support skating. 

Yuusaku wondered exactly what skating would be like. He thought he vaguely recalled having done it when he was very young. But he didn’t remember it well and he wasn’t sure if he really had done it or not. Most of his memories from before the Lost Incident were faded to the point of no longer existing or being so faint that he couldn’t distinguish them from childhood fantasies. 

Ai’s arm around him tightened a little and Yuusaku let himself think about the future instead of the past. He did that a lot more these days, since the future held wonderful things such as Ai and all the rest of his friends. 

And today it held actual ice skating. He could see people gathered up ahead, and from the way Ai picked up his pace, that was where they were going. Ai guided him to one of the benches and together they started to put their ice skates on. 

“Do you know how to ice skate?” Yuusaku wondered as Ai took his hands and guided him towards the smooth ice. 

“I know everything I want to know,” Ai promised him, grinning. Yuusaku wasn’t going to question that. He hoped that Ai wasn’t so heavy that he’d fall through the ice. But he had to trust that Ai knew what his body could and couldn’t do. 

Ai kept a firm hold of his hands – Ai didn’t have gloves and they were _warm_ \- guiding him through the basics of getting his balance and starting to glide along the ice. 

Yuusaku remained aware that there were other people watching. He kept all of his focus on Ai, however, more because Ai made sure that he wasn’t going to fall than anything else. He still hadn’t gotten adjusted to the thought that people could watch him and he would be safe. 

He could hear a little of what they said – murmuring about how handsome Ai was and how close the two of them seemed. As long as they kept it like that, he was fine with it. He wondered what Ai would think and decided he already knew. If Ai knew that people were watching them, he’d do anything he could to keep their attention. 

_If? No. He knows._ How could Ai not know? He could hear and see on a level that most humans couldn’t. 

And from the way Ai chuckled in his ear, Ai was _very_ aware of the fact they were being watched. 

“Do you want to really give them something to stare at, Yuusaku-chan?” Ai murmured. Yuusaku shivered at the feel of those warm lips against his skin. He’d never known how good being touched could be until Ai started doing it on a regular basis. 

“What do you mean?” There were things he would do and things he’d rather they didn’t show off in public. He had to hope that Ai knew the difference. 

“You asked if I knew how to ice skate. Let me show you everything I can do.” Ai guided him back over to the bench and helped him to sit down, raising his voice a little. “You take a break. I’m going to go back out there.” 

Yuusaku didn’t argue. He honestly liked seeing Ai move around. He was far too graceful, every movement flawless, and he darned well knew it. 

Ai skated back out to the center of the lake and spun slowly. That led into slow, long loops, and a few jumps. Nothing he did was any sort of formal professional work and technically it was all disconnected pieces. But the way that Ai flowed from one action to another and made it look effortless – Yuusaku wished he’d thought to record it so he could enjoy the sight again later. He’d probably have to make sure that none of the local security cameras recorded this. Perhaps he could save it from that. 

He wasn’t the only one appreciating what Ai did. Everyone else at the pond stared in shock and awe, and when Ai finally came to a rest, finally skating right back to where Yuusaku waited, enthusiastic clapping rose upward. A few people cheered and one or two seemed to want his autograph. 

Ai waved one hand gleefully to everyone. He’d changed out of his usual vampire ringmaster outfit to something much more neutral – ordinary pants and a thick sweater in the same dark shade of his hair – and if someone missed his odd pupils, he looked much like any other human. Yuusaku liked that. Ai needed whatever anonymity he could have – which was, of course, why he kept on doing things that made people stare at him. 

As much as he tried, Yuusaku thought there would always be parts of Ai that he never understood. But one thing he did grasp very well was how much he enjoyed it as Ai brought him to his feet, slipped his arms around him softly, and brought their lips together. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Tomorrow is the final chapter. Technically Hugsaku Week is over but I have a personal prompt I will be using for chapter 6, since I skipped the crossover prompt.


	6. Snowballs

**Story:** In The Arms of Love|| **Title:** Snowballs  
**Ship:** Yuusaku x Ai  
**Chapters:** 6-6|| **Words:** 1,621|| **Total:** 9,711  
**Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** G  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing: YGO VRAINS/Sevens: H10, 6 chapters; Hugsaku Week 2021, day #6, N/A  
**Notes:** This takes place post-canon. Ai and all the other Ignis have returned and have spiffy SOLtis bodies of their very own.  
**Summary:** Yuusaku needs lots of hugs and Ai is there to make sure they all happen.

* * *

Ai knew that his skin was artificial, probably grown in a vat or spun in some other fashion. But he could feel everything that touched him, perhaps to even greater detail than humans could. 

So he definitely felt Yuusaku’s warm lips pressed against his own. He wrapped an arm around Yuusaku’s neck and leaned into the kiss, hearing the murmurs and whispers of all the people watching them and making certain they saw him kiss Yuusaku very clearly. 

When he pulled back, it was more due to the potential for Yuusaku’s lack of air than his own. If that were the issue, he could have kept on kissing forever. But Yuusaku needed to breathe. 

Yuusaku’s eyes sparkled at him, his cheeks faintly flushed, and he had his own arms around Ai’s neck. He breathed in a little but said nothing. Ai wasn’t at all sure if anything needed to be said. 

Ai could do untold numbers of calculations in the space of seconds. He could figure out the most complex of duels in heartbeats and work out projections in almost no time at all. 

And even with all of that, he still didn’t understand what was going on as Yuusaku’s arms slid from around his neck, and a few seconds later, something cold dropped down the back of his sweater. A heartbeat – even when he didn’t have a heart to beat – passed before it dawned on him what it was. 

“Yuusaku-chan!” He spluttered. He’d never thought that _Yuusaku_ of all people would try something like that! 

Quick as he could, he scooped up a handful of snow and stepped back, tossing it at Yuusaku. His Origin – and his boyfriend – ducked out of the way, though he didn’t quite escape. Snow splattered along his chest, and Yuusaku started to reach for more snow of his own. 

“If you’re going to do that, boys, you should take it elsewhere,” one of the older people advised them. “This area’s for skating.” 

Yuusaku stood up a breath later, snow still in his gloved hand. “All right,” he murmured, and held out his free hand towards Ai. Ai considered not taking it but the prospect of a snowball fight against Yuusaku was far too tempting. 

He accepted the outstretched hand and together the two of them headed away. He heard a soft sigh of breath from one of the watching people and a whisper of, “They’re so handsome. And so lucky.” 

_They have no idea of how right they are._ Ai preened as they walked, enjoying the sensation of Yuusaku’s hand in his. He tightened his grip a fraction, enough so Yuusaku looked at him, and smiled. 

That had been Ai’s first kiss. As far as he knew, it had also been Yuusaku’s. A tiny flicker of worry tripped in his programming. 

“Yuusaku,” he murmured, keeping his voice low so that no one else they passed could hear him. “The kiss – you didn’t mind, did you? It wasn’t – with a human.” 

Yuusaku regarded him, eyes narrowed. “If I wanted it to be with a human, there are humans I could have kissed.” 

Ai wasn’t going to argue that. He doubted that Yuusaku _would_ have, because even now he wasn’t the most social of creatures, but there were plenty of people who would have happily volunteered to do the honors if Yuusaku ever expressed the desire for such a kiss. 

And Yuusaku had wanted _him_ for that kiss. Had kissed him. Granted, it had been Ai who started the kiss, but Yuusaku hadn’t complained or protested or tried to avoid it. He’d returned it. 

Ai knew that he weighed far too much actually walk on air. He’d read of such descriptions and he knew they weren’t meant to describe reality. But the farther they walked together hand in hand, the deeper that it sank into him that they’d not merely ice skated together but they’d kissed and were off to have some private fun with snowballs together, the more certain he was if he looked down, he would see his shoes floating a good distance above the snow. 

Perhaps he would try that the next time they visited Vrains. It would be interesting, to say the least. 

But for now Ai spied a long stretch of snow ahead of them, raw and pure, untouched by anything save a few birds. In less cold times it probably was something like a parking lot or perhaps a meadow. Now it was a source for snowballs and fun and Ai looked forward to both of those. 

He turned to Yuusaku, wanting to say something, and was quickly reminded that Yuusaku had carried that snow all the way from the skating rink as it splattered over his chest. He brushed it away and did his very best glower – he practiced expressions a lot while Yuusaku slept. He never knew when he might need them. 

“You-” Ai didn’t even have words. Instead, he scooped up the nearest handful of snow that he could and lobbed it at Yuusaku, who darted out of the way, finding a hiding place for himself behind some thick bushes. 

Ai located a copse of his own to shelter behind and the two of them took turns tossing packed snow at one another. With more distance between them now, Yuusaku’s snowballs didn’t hit very well. He was a programming prodigy but getting fresh air and exercise hadn’t been on his personal to-do list for quite some time. Ai didn’t have to worry about that. He had superior hand-eye co-ordination simply by virtue of what he was, so the vast majority of his snowballs hit exactly what he aimed for. 

The snowball fight only ended when Yuusaku finally sagged against the bushes he hid behind and waved one hand at Ai. 

“That’s enough for now,” he said, working hard to catch his breath. Ai wasn’t going to argue. He’d had more than enough fun like this already. 

He brushed his hands clean of snow and made his way over to Yuusaku, checking the time as he did. “We’ve got reservations at a good restaurant soon anyway. You’re hungry, aren’t you?” He regarded Yuusaku sternly. “For something that’s not just hot dogs.” 

Yuusaku offered a small smile. “A little,” he admitted, taking Ai’s hand and coming to his feet. “Which restaurant?” 

“Ember Days,” Ai said with a very satisfied grin. “They serve some excellent tempura.” 

Yuusaku looked a little intrigued by that. Ai knew that on those rare occasions when he didn’t eat at Cafe Nagi, he mainly picked up ramen from random shops along the way home. Tempura wasn’t something he was all that used to. Ai looked forward to seeing his reaction to it. 

“What else have you planned for today?” Yuusaku asked as Ai began to brush the snow off of him. He tried to raise his hands to do it himself but Ai wasn’t going to let that happen. He could get to the parts that Yuusaku couldn’t. 

“Well, we’ve done just about everything,” Ai admitted. “You got your presents and we went ice skating and snowball fighting and now we’re going to eat.” 

Yuusaku regarded him. “How do you eat, anyway?” 

“It’s complicated,” Ai admitted. “I don’t really need to, you know.” He shrugged. “I sort of mash it up in my mouth and then it goes here.” He touched his stomach area. “I’ve got a place in here to keep it away from my circuitry and later I can empty out the box. It’s not too different from what humans do.” 

Yuusaku looked a lot more fascinated than Ai had thought he would be. “Do you taste anything?” 

“Not quite. I’m working on developing that, though. I have a few ideas.” It would take some effort and he thought he could work it out best in Link Vrains. He didn’t think it was necessary for his own satisfaction but it would make emulating humans just that much easier. He didn’t want to _be_ human but he knew life for Yuusaku would be so much easier if he could blend in that well. 

Ai dismissed the entire conversation with a flick of one hand, wishing that he had his cape to make the appropriate dramatic swoop with, before he wrapped his fingers around Yuusaku’s and gently pressed their fingers together. He might not be able to taste, but he could feel, and he enjoyed the feeling of Yuusaku’s hand in his. 

“Come on. It’s almost time for our meal. We don’t want to be late.” 

Hand in hand, they started for the nearest pathway that led to the restaurant. Ai kept on enjoying the sensation of Yuusaku’s hand in his and he thought Yuusaku enjoyed this as well. He thought about giving Yuusaku another hug but the problem with that was he would have to release Yuusaku’s hand and he didn’t really want to do that. 

“Why are you doing all this?” Yuusaku murmured as the restaurant came into view ahead of them. Ai snorted at the question. 

“Don’t you know? I haven’t exactly been hiding it.” 

Yuusaku let out a small laugh. Ai savored the sound of it. Yuusaku laughing was a rare and precious treasure. 

“Would you even know how to hide anything if you wanted to?” 

Ai considered that, even as they were escorted inside the restaurant and seated at a quiet spot out of the way. Then he shrugged the tiniest bit, grinning. 

“Why hide when it’s the absolute truth?” And he leaned over to brush his lips gently over the side of Yuusaku’s ear, whispering, “I love you.” 

What made the night even better was that Yuusaku leaned closer to him and whispered those same words back to him. 

* * *

**The End**

**Notes:** So that’s all of it! This chapter was prompted by a request from SilvorMoon, to have Yuusaku and Ai hold hands.


End file.
